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School Spotlight:
Capitol View Elementary
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This month's School Spotlight is Capitol View Elementary!! Our Power Lunch program reaches out to 26 students in first, second, and fourth grades. Marcia Johnson, the principal of Capitol View Elementary, says, "Our students look forward to their Everybody Wins! Iowa friends coming each week. For some of our students it is one of the few times they ever get the undivided attention of an adult." The Power Lunch programs focus on the students as well as the mentors, allowing both of them to "win!" The students gain access to reading materials and become more enthusiastic about reading while the mentors form meaningful relationships with students.
"Power Lunch opens the door for students to understand relevant issues one step at a time through the "gift of story" says Jan Fitzsimons, School Coordinator for Capitol View. "Power Lunch builds confidence in communication and enlarges vocabulary as mentors and students converse about life through the stories, characters and their own experiences."
Ed Parker has read with students for three years and understands the importance of reading to a student, "to have an adult who is not a relative or responsible for their care to take the time, show interest, and encourage them and in the process improve their reading."
Ed and Cesar reading at Capitol View Elementary
Please click here to sign up today to become a reading mentor at Walnut Street School or one of our other 19 schools in Des Moines, Indianola, Norwalk and Pella!
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Everybody Wins! Iowa concluded National Mentoring Month with a bang again this year with our annual Power Lunch Week! Mentors and students were given the chance to show their appreciation of each other and utilize their creativity by decorating bookmarks for one another. Mentors learned about a mentor recruitment challenge that kicked off February 1st!
 
At 10 of our now 19 schools, Everybody Wins! Iowa had the privilege of recognizing many of the companies that make the programs we have possible. The following were honored during Power Lunch Week: Drake University, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere Financial, Iowa Health, Meredith Corporation, MidAmerican Energy, Nationwide Insurance, Principal Financial Group, Simpson College, University of Phoenix, Warren County Philanthropic Partnership, and Wells Fargo. We want to extend another thank you to each of these companies and organizations for their wonderful support of Everybody Wins! Iowa. Not only do many of these companies provide financial funding to our programs, but a good portion of our mentors also work for these companies. We appreciate the great partnerships we have with each of you!  
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Everybody Wins! Iowa will be participating in the Birdies for Charity in 2013 at the Principal Charity Classic. Make your pledge for Everybody Wins! Iowa on their website now!
What is Birdies for Charity? The Birdies for Charity program is a fundraising vehicle through which participating organizations solicit pledges from supporters based on the number of birdies made by PGA Champions Tour players during the three-day Principal Charity Classic. Participating organizations will keep 100% of the pledges collected on their behalf.
How It Works: Participants can make a one-time flat donation (minimum $25), or make a pledge for each birdie made ($.05 per birdie minimum) by Champions Tour players during the 2013 Principal Charity Classic. Once a total of $1,500 is raised by an organization, each gift to the organization will be matched by 25%.
February Prizes: Anyone who pledges to
Everybody Wins! Iowa before March 3, will be entered to win a new Weber Grill donated by John Deere Financial.
Principal Charity Classic
May 28 - June 2, 2013
Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa
Click here to make your gift to Everybody Wins! Iowa.
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This year's Read Across America Day will take place on Friday, March 1st from 5-7:00 p.m. at Merle Hay Mall. The event encourages the love of reading through a variety of activities, including Dr. Seuss Bingo, a coloring table, etc. It also coincides with the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Read Across America Day promotes reading, particularly for children and young adults.
Scholastic Book Fair! It is time to mark your calendars for Everybody Wins! Iowa's spring Scholastic Book Fair. The spring bookfair will be March 27 & 28 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days. The book fair will be held at the University of Phoenix campus located at 317 6th Avenue, Downtown Des Moines. You will also be able to order online beginning March 15th. This is a perfect time to pick up some new books for kids to read over the summer! More details to follow.
Everybody Wins! Iowa's annual Read to Lead Gala will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 7-10 p.m. at Salisbury House in Des Moines. The gala is a chance for you to enjoy beverages and appetizers at the beautiful Salisbury House venue, to meet local authors, have access to the Salisbury House Library, enjoy music from local musicians, participate in a silent auction and mingle with other supporters of Everybody Wins! Iowa. We are currently looking for donations of gift cards to local businesses, tickets to local events, etc. If you would like to donate any items to our silent auction or have any questions, please let call the Everybody Wins! Iowa office at 515.277.7590. Registration will be available on our website on March 1st.
Feel your creative side coming on? Come to The Social Canvas on May 23rd! The Social Canvas is an upbeat art studio where you will take a fun class guided by an artist. Everybody Wins! Iowa will get $10 for every painter who comes to paint on May 23rd from 6-9. The painting will be of Gerber Daisies. Bring your friends, co-workers, and family members for this fun filled evening! Sign up early as there are only 60 spots! For more information about The Social Canvas and to register to paint that night, please visit their website at http://www.thesocialcanvas.com. If you have any other questions, please call the Everybody Wins! Iowa office at 515-277-7590.
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Grant received by
Everybody Wins! Iowa
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Everybody Wins! Iowa received a $500 grant from the Kohl's which will be used to support our Power Lunch programming. In December, Kohl's did an Associates in Action event where they provided volunteers to help out at our Barnes & Noble Book Fair. Everybody Wins! Iowa appreciates both their financial and volunteer support.
 
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Being a mentor, the hour you spend with your student each week inspires the student in meaningful ways. To help make these relationships stronger, here are some great tips the Forbes Magazine published titled "3 Tips for a Great Mentoring Relationship." The ideas have been slightly changed to focus on Power Lunch:
Make your reading sessions part of your standard workflow. For both you and your student, your Power Lunch sessions should be seen as a standing appointment, which means both you and your student should treat it with respect. Help your student understand how important this session is to you, and be sure he or she respects the appointment - shows up on time, complies with the Reading Standards, and understands that you both are working toward the goals you set for yourselves.
Plan your conversations, but allow them to stray. Before you arrive for your session, give some thought to how the session will run. Think of what you can share as you catch up with your student at the beginning of your time together. Pose questions in your mind that can spur conversations: "Did you read something fun in one of your classes this week?" "Did you get a chance to read for fun at home last weekend?" If the book you are reading leads you into interesting territory, use it as an opportunity to explore: "If you could see yourself in ten years from now, what would you see?"
The best mentor relationships are reciprocal. Be sure YOU are getting something out of the mentor relationship. Over the years, mentor feedback has informed us that Reading Mentors often feel they are at their most creative, engaged, and entertained during the reading session, just through sharing stories and spending time with a child. Check your relationship regularly; speak to your School Coordinator about your highs and lows in the program. Power Lunch is most powerful when both mentor and student are enlisted!
Quick Tip provided by IPTV Ideas on the Go
Looking for a way to create your own tale? Twist a classic one. What if Cinderella had step-brothers instead of step-sisters? Would she still have to clean up after them? What about the gingerbread man being a pizza?
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Our Mission
Increasing children's success in school through reading and mentoring experiences with caring volunteers.
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Message from the Executive Director:
"Please plan to join us the next few months for our upcoming events and fundraisers - Birdies for Charity Campaign, Read Across America Day, Scholastic Book Fair, Read to Lead, and Paint with a Purpose. Thanks in advance for your support!"
Gratefully,
-Amanda Fletcher,
Executive Director, Everybody Wins! Iowa
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